Little League
Little League is played in 80 countries and all 50 states. Each year over 2 million kids play Little League. It is the biggest youth sports organization in the world. After the Spring season is over, Little League hosts different tournaments for kids ages 8 to 12*.
Summer Tournaments
Summer Ball is tournament-style baseball played against other local towns. It starts the third week of June and ends the first or second week of August. Teams are organized by age*, and different tournaments are available for kids ages 8-12. Ipswich generally fields an 8U, 9U, 10U, 11U, and a 12U team. The tournaments tend to be local, and are typically in places like Beverly, Danvers, Gloucester, Hamilton, and Amesbury.
* Little League organizes summer tournament teams by age, not grade. The players league age is their age on August 31st of the current league year. The League year starts on January 1st.
Little League World Series (Williamsport Tournament)
Summer Ball culminates in the “Williamsport Tournament,” in which 12-year-olds from all around the world compete for a chance to go to Pennsylvania and play in the LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES. Each of the thousands of teams that enter start locally, and then move on by winning. The team that wins their local District, their Section, their State, and then their Region, will move on to Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The top 10 teams in the United States and the top 10 teams from around world play a tournament over 10 days in August, which is broadcast on ESPN. The finals is one game featuring the best team in the United States against the best team in the rest of the world.
Schedule
The earliest tournaments, including the Williamsport Tournament, start soon after school ends, around the 3rd or 4th week of June. The higher end tournaments have some sort of elimination format, so the more you win, the longer you play.
Availability
We understand that people go away, take time off, and/or go to the beach. Please do not skip Summer Ball because of vacation. Most kids go away, and we try to recruit enough kids for each team to make up for vacations and time away.
Team Formation
Depending on numbers, there will be a selection process. Teams are formed based on perceived ability and team need, with input from the coaches. The "best" players are not always selected, as things like maturity and team need are taken into account. Final teams are selected by the coaches and approved by the the Board.
Player Ability
Your child does not have to be a top player to play Summer Ball. There are different levels of tournaments, and Ipswich attempts to make sure everyone who wants to play in the Summer has some opportunity.
Cost
There is an an additional fee to play Summer Ball as some tournaments have a fee to enter, and all kids get an Ipswich Summer Ball hat, and shirt with their name on the back.